Merry Christmas to Me!

So....it's been practically 12 weeks since I've had a "real" run.....this afternoon J and I went to the gym.  I decided that, since it's Christmas and all ;)...I'd give a treadmill run a whirl.

It felt great!

I did a little over 3 miles....warmed up with 5 minutes of walking at a 4.0 pace, then ran 5 minutes at a 6.0 pace.  I backed it down for 5 minutes at a 4.0 pace again....and marveled at how great my ankle felt.

Then, i decided to be crazy....i did 5 more minutes at a 6.0 pace....and then cranked it up to 8.0.  I did some intervals there for a while....and still felt great.

After a total of 36 minutes, I hopped off for some strength training.

I wanted to run more....but decided I shouldn't push my luck.

It was a great Christmas present :).

It's crazy, though, how sore my legs are! Ha! I feel like a big ol' wimp :).  I cant wait to build back up to my old levels of fitness...and then some :).

Bring it, 2011! :)

Posted by Rachelyn via Blogaway

Cross training is the name of the game

So, I've been a good little patient.

I've been cooperative and have been heeding the advice from my PT (for the most part :)).

I've been resting.

I've been stretching.

Cross-training.

Icing.

Popping pills (ugh, I try not to do much of that though).

Going in for ultrasound treatments.

And....resting some more.

I haven't gone on a REAL run since Sunday, September 26th.

(Did I mention that "real" run was a PR marathon!? ;) 26.2 in roughly 3 hours and 53 minutes, baby! When I'm feeling down about not being able to run...I just repeat that fact over and over to myself in my head. Makes me remember I'm not really a failure :))

Whoops, I guess I also ran on Saturday, October 2nd, a mere six days after that marathon. I did do a "little" 5k...Run the Woods (an Easter Seals fundraiser)...and did get 2nd in my age group. Meh....

But, I don't really consider running 3.1 miles much of a run to me right now. It's just a tease!!

So, for all intents and purposes...it's been EIGHT FULL WEEKS since I've been on a REAL run. WOW!!!! That is some crazy, crazy, crazy stuff....coming from someone who ran 3 marathons in 12 months.

I have been gaining weight...which is NOT fun...and some days I am in denial about it (until I looked at a picture of myself taken Friday night and realized I really need to get things back in check. Good grief, Rachel.). I need to be better about adjusting my diet due to decreased activity...but I haven't been very good at that.

Sigh.

Spinning classes....namely, 5:15 am "hour of power" spinning classes...have been saving me. I've gone a few times over the past few weeks...and I feel like they give me the cardio/sweat fest I crave. I don't necessarily think they are great on my Achilles, but it's definitely not like running. And I'm "careful" ;).

I went to a Zumba class yesterday...it was a fundraiser for Easter Seals put on by some students at Heartland Community College. It was a lot of fun! Also, though, maybe not the wisest choice healing-wise. That hard floor was a bit rough on joints. It was a 2-hour "event"; I was a bit late and participated for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. I felt really silly...I am SO not coordinated. But, it was fun!

I haven't been swimming in the past 2 weeks. I swam/pool jogged so much over the past 2 months or so that I felt as if I was going to sprout gills ;). I am not really a big fan of swimming. It's SO good for you, though, I should probably get back at it.

I would love to schedule marathon 4...but I can't yet. Darn you, Achilles!

Dude....

My body needs to RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's all for now.

I GOT TO GO ON A RUN!

Ok, in all actuallity....what I did last night can really barely "count" as "a run" ;). But, hey, after 3 weeks (who can believe it?!) of NOT RUNNING...I will take what I can get!

Yesterday I saw my PT, David, over at the SEC. He did some ultrasound therapy on my achilles and inspected things, etc. He decided by the end of the examination that I should try running that evening.

He said it should be on a treadmill, as it had more "give" than the pavement. So, I made mental plans immediately to go to the gym the second I got off of work. He instructed me to do 5 minutes of running at a 5-6 mile-per-hour pace, followed by 2-3 minutes of walking. He told me to repeat this interval so I completed it a total of 3 times.

As soon as I got off of work, I headed over to Four Seasons 2. I hopped on a treadmill and walked 5 minutes to warm up (at a 3 mph pace). I then upped the mph to 6 (so a 10 minute/mile pace. Painfully slow ;) ). Almost immediately I felt some mild-moderate pain in my right Achilles.

Darn it all.

I pushed through it...it truly wasn't severe, just a nagging mild-moderate pain.

5 minutes walking ("warm up")
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.
5 minutes running.
2 minutes walking.

...for a grand total of 26 minutes. I ended up going for 2.05 miles.

It wasn't pretty.

It wasn't comfortable.

My mind screamed "faster! faster! faster!"

But...

That little taste of my much-loved friend running brought a bit of joy to my day.

(I should add that I got up at 4:30am to go to a 5:15am "hour of power" spinning class at the gym yesterday, too :). So, I did get a "real" workout in on top of the baby-running-adventure :) ).

I popped some ibuprofin to hopefully bring down some swelling last night.

The Achilles is "creaking" again today.

Ugh.

We'll see....

Praying for healing...and doing my best to follow the doctors' and PT's instructions and work hard to work through this.

Oh, Marathon 4...I want to register for you...but I must have patience...

Little hiatus

Well...my doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon went well. The doctor I saw was very nice...and I think was a little amused by me/my apparent craziness. After hearing me rattle on and on about my history/symptoms/what I've been doing about things lately...he says, "So you are a runner." I responded, "Well I try." He replied, "You run when it hurts. That means you're a real runner." Well, pin a rose on my nose ;). The fact that that statement gave me a little delight probably means I have some sort of issues ;).

So, the worst pain lately has been the suspected Achilles tendinitis. Turns out, my PT friends Jamie and Jillian were correct and I am indeed presenting with Achilles tendinitis (which, if you've never experienced this, is SUPER painful. We're talking...I was wearing flip flops even in the cold because I couldn't stand to have anything pressing on the back of my ankle/heel). The doctor prescribed methylprednisolone, a steroid. I took six pills Wednesday night after filling the script with my good friend Lynden at CVS in Normal :), five pills yesterday, and will take four today (have taken one so far). Boy oh boy. Yesterday I had an awful headache that I am "blaming" on the drugs, but who knows. Of course "headache" is a potential side effect of the drugs...but headaches are side effects of pretty much EVERY drug I feel like! So, who knows if it's related at all or not ;). However....the pain in my Achilles is extremely diminished. So, that's awesome! It was hurting just to take a step!

I have to wait to run until I am completely pain-free...and then wait two days past the feeling of being pain-free. So, could be over a week. So far, I'm surviving ;).

I went out for a run on Tuesday night...I received a text from my good friend Ashley who told me she had just gone out and run five miles for the first time EVER in her life! I was SUPER proud of her...but it also made me really jealous (ok, that is an awful, awful thing to admit...but it is true!) and I thought to myself, "Why CAN'T I just go out for a nice little five-mile jog?" SO, I hurried home from work, quickly changed into running gear and hit the road. It felt great (mentally)...but my body felt awful. My form had to be completely heinous-looking. I truly hope that no one I knew saw me out there running! Not pretty at all. But, it got the job done :). It had been NINE days since the previous run....

Here's my running performance in the past few weeks:
1. Sunday, September 26--Quad Cities Marathon: 3:53:51 finishing time...8:56 pace....227/695 finishers....58/256 women......12/49 in my division...and a PR!!! :) :)
2. Saturday, October 2--Run the Woods: 25:46.1 finishing time....8:19 pace.....51/184 runners and 2nd in my age group (I would like to point out that this was 26 seconds faster than my Run the Woods time last year...which is impressive in my mind because last year I ran the race the weekend before the Chicago Marathon...and this year I ran it the weekend AFTER the Quad Cities Marathon, following knee issues and in the midst of some pretty painful Achilles tendinitis! Woot!)
3. Tuesday, October 12--I ran five miles at a 10 min/mile pace (UGH!) just to keep my sanity and to "say goodbye" to running for a while until my body is fixed.

So, just 34.3 miles in the past 3 weeks...when I am used to doing that many miles (give or take a few here or there) in one week!

So...goodbye for a few days (hopefully not WEEKS), dear running! Hope to see you SOON! :)

Maybe I'll have to figure out some sort of other hobby/vice to keep myself occupied ;).

done

So, I finally called and made a doctor's appointment for next Wednesday....the first step in taking ownership of my health and my stupid knee that turned into my knee....thigh...and most lately my achilles tendon (all on the right leg). Orthopedic physician, here I come!

I'm pretty apprehensive about the appointment....I hope things don't seem too dire. I am sure they won't be....

I'm a sensationalist, I think ;). Tend to worry about the worst possible outcome and have really bad initial reactions to new news/bad news/etc. So....hopefully I am just worried and worked up about nothing.

In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I was literally sick to my stomach many days and actually had many nights where I didn't sleep much. I actually bought some over-the-counter sleeping pills! What in the world is wrong with me?! I am a freaking mess.

So, Mr. Doctor...I apologize in advance. You're going to be treating a psychotic loose cannon ;). Good luck with that one! I promise not to cry in your office.

Unless you tell me I'm done running forever, then I make no promises.

In the meantime, I need to woman up and make some other positive changes. I need to concentrate on healthy eating (I suck lately) and weight training. I have definitely fallen off BOTH of those wagons in a major way.

In the now-almost-two-years that I've been gluten free (medically necessary), I've made the big mistake of eating whatever I could that was gluten free. Oh wow, Grocery Store A has a new brand of yummy gluten free cookies!? Well, I HAVE to buy them and try them! Never mind the fact that I would seldom buy crap like that pre-diagnosis. I took NOT being able to eat many things that I loved as liberty to eat ANYTHING else that I COULD eat and WANTED to eat. I know I've even blogged about that before....but never made a change.

Changes....hm. I'm not the biggest fan of change. Maybe my kiddos with Autism/Asperger's are rubbing off on me ;). I like predictibility....having control...having constants. Speaking of which, we had a bomb dropped on us at work today that has the potential to shake things up there a bit. Naturally I had a bad (internal, thankfully! And, in my car...but solo!) reaction to this "news"...but the more I process it and begin to understand the reasons why I might be feeling the way I am....the more it begins to at least be a little more clear. A little. But that's a story for another time, and not the internet ;).

Anyway......tomorrow is a new day. I am getting my hair colored/cut after work. Maybe I need to do something drastic.

But wait, I hate change!

We'll see.

It could be time for something.....

Quad Cities Marathon

I have officially completed my 3rd marathon in 12 months...and it feels amazing! :) When I crossed that finish line in Moline, IL...I was literally feeling "on top of the world." It was one of the best feelings in the world....

Quick wrap-up of highlights...

My Top Ten Moments of the 2010 Quad Cities Marathon (in no particular order):

10. Spending the night with my sister and her husband and all getting ready together with Megan and Jeremy in the morning :). Only other runners can understand and appreciate pre-race morning "rituals" ;).

9. Seeing a good friend from college, Rachel Annen. Rachel participated in the relay event and ran the second leg of the relay. I saw her around mile 7 or so and we ran together for a mile or so, including part of the course along the Mississippi in Davenport and part of the Centennial Bridge from Davenport, IA to Moline, IL. I got to see her brand-new engagement ring, as well! Congratulations to Rachel and Ryan!

8. Running around Arsenal Island (which felt a LOT longer/bigger than I ever realized!). This island is a military base. Dozens of military personnel in uniform were cheering the runners on as we made our way around the island. It literally brought tears to my eyes as I thought about how really meaningless what we runners were doing was compared to the sacrifices each of them had made and were willing to make to serve our country. Nodding and smiling in thanks as they cheered seemed silly. It was pretty amazing, really. And, the arsenal definitely provided a scenic route!

7. Feeling the community support. I would still run without spectators. I enjoy running for the sheer joy it brings me and the sense of personal accomplishment. However, it is a lot more exciting to run as spectators cheer on the crowd of runners :). It's really neat to run past families with little kids who are SO excited to put their little hands out to give the runners high-fives as they run past. It's energizing to listen to the local bands and musicians who play along the course. It's humbling to see the hundreds of volunteers who turn out for an event like this....the people giving out water, GU, and fruit along the course...the policemen/women stopping traffic...the women standing with sticks of vaseline (haha!!! I haven't needed to utilize this, but I am sure some people are very thankful for this! ;) )...the Palmer Chiropractic students who give adjustments after the race...the massage tent workers (I never wait in line for post-race massages, the lines are always WAY too long!)....the people cutting off chips and handing out medals at the finish...the people serving food at the finish....etc., etc. I made sure to say "thank you" to as many people as I could (especially the policemen blocking traffic!)...which I recognize is a small gesture, but it does mean something to some people based on their smiles.

6. Running the ENTIRE race. In my previous two marathons, I have had to walk at least a bit of the race. In Chicago, after about mile 11, I walked 30 seconds to a minute at many of the water stops. I had heard that this was a good strategy...to walk a bit at water stops to ensure you could get all of the water down and to give your muscles a little rest. "It is better to be in control of your body and walk a bit when you choose to as opposed to walking because you HAVE to," I was told. In Minnesota, I probably truly walked close to a mile as I neared the end. I had to stop and walk a few times after about mile 18. I truly "hit a wall." That was my most miserable marathon experience of the three (though still an amazing overall experience!). The course was hilly...it was HOT...and I started at too quick of a pace. At the Quad Cities marathon, though, I literally ran the ENTIRE thing. I never slowed to a walk, even at water stops. Right, wrong, or otherwise...I didn't even grab water at some of the stops (particularly the later ones toward the end). I just kept moving...

5. Having minimal pain. I'd be lying if I said I ran this marathon completely pain-free (ok....really...your body is in motion for approximately 4 hours...that's not going to always feel great! It's definitely not an easy feat!). In the weeks leading up to the marathon, I was experiencing lots of discomfort and pain in my right leg. It was mostly my right knee and right inner thigh. I employed the help and advice of many in the weeks leading up to the race. In fact, for the 17 days leading up to the marathon...I didn't run on land at all! If you know me, you know this almost killed me and turned me into a crazy person (well, a craziER person ;)). I did LOTS of running with a buoyancy belt in the pool...hours on end. It was boringboringboring, but apparently paid off. My knee did give me some discomfort throughout the race, but I pushed through it. I won't go into how I am feeling right now, a week after the fact ;)...let's just say I'm taking some time off.

4. Sharing a monumental occasion with my family....this was my sister Megan's second marathon (her first was the Quad Cities marathon last year!) and my husband Jeremy's first half marathon! I am SO proud of both of them!!!!!

3. Hearing an awesome band, The Funktastic Five, perform after the race! As Jeremy and I walked to our car from the "post-race party," the band started to play "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy"....which is probably our FAVORITE "wedding-song" to dance to at weddings, parties, etc. We turned and smiled at each other, paused...then turned around, sore legs and all, and hurried back to where the band was playing to take pictures and dance a bit (as much as our sore legs would allow ;)). This is the band that our good friends Aaron and Katie hired to perform at their wedding reception last May...they are really great!

2. Seeing my brother-in-law Danny with about 1/4 of a mile to go, then seeing Jeremy right after I crossed the finish, and seeing my parents a minute or so after crossing :). Seeing them all there meant the world to me. After we all got cleaned up, the six of us all went out for a post-race lunch at a family favorite, Red Robin, in Davenport. We missed Dan and Laura, though (they were both at school)!!! :(

1. Getting a PR....I finished the marathon in 3 hours, 53 minutes, 51 seconds. As I crossed that finish line, I could not stop smiling. This was approximately TEN minutes faster than Minneapolis in early June and approximately SEVEN minutes faster than Chicago last October! While I still have a long way to go before getting a Boston qualifying time (I need to get 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds for that....which means shaving 13 minutes off of the time I got in the Quad Cities)....I am still very happy with my Quad Cities performance.

Now...it's time to get back to work. Marathon Four is on the horizon!

Two days til #3!!

In just two days from this moment I will be almost an hour in to my third marathon!! :) :)
Have I mentioned that I'm super, super, SUPER excited?!

Absent...

Yeah, so I haven't posted since Sept 5 on my good ol' marathon training blog.

Sadly (in my opinion), that's because I haven't been doing a whole lot in the way of marathon training.

My leg is super jacked. Super.

I feel like a hypochondriac, but I swear I am not.

I know pain can be mental...but I am pretty sure this isn't. I mean, what is there to be afraid of? It's not like this is my first rodeo, kids. This is marathon three! Marathon three in twelve months! It's not exactly "old hat," but it's nothing new either.

I know what to expect.

I know I am SO excited.

I know I have only eleven training days left....

and...

I know I haven't run on land in 6 long days.

Six!

As I posted on facebook today, I feel as if I may explode. I've been "redirecting my energy" in somewhat odd (for me!) ways like...making salsa last night. What? Who spends their Monday night making salsa?! It was yummy, if you were wondering ;).

I ran eight miles last Wednesday (September 8) and, frankly, it felt like some sort of torture. The first two miles were heinous. My inner thigh area (groin?) on my right leg was super tight and painful-feeling...it's a pain that's deep in there. Hard to describe. Painful. Hated.

My knee felt as if it was grinding (right knee...always issues with the right leg!! Wish I could trade it for another left leg. That leg seems to be golden, for the most part).

I took 4 Ibuprofens before I left...and they seemed to kick in after about 5 miles or so. Well, either they were kicking in or my leg was just going numb. Or both.

I was definitely numb.

I did most of the 8 miles at a 9 min/mile pace, but was able to speed up a bit at the end (once the numbness set in!) to an 8:30 min/mile pace.

Right now...I am learning patience. I am not a patient person. Not in the slightest. Actually, that may not be entirely true ;). I had a teacher at a school where I see some kiddos for speech today compliment my patience. I also had a parent of a little guy I see on Mondays commend my patient demeanor with his son after the session on Monday. So, I guess I've got it in me somewhere ;). I have to admit, though, while I may exude patience on the exterior at times like that when it really "counts"...on the inside I am anything but.

And right now...I am anything but patient.

I want to run, and I want to run...NOW. Tonight. Last night. Every night.

I hate this leg for holding me back.

But....I am holding out for the "prize"...taking some time off, because I know my knee needs to heal. I know I can't obtain my prize...starting the Quad Cities Marathon 11 days, 14 hours, and 41 minutes from now and finishing said race approximately four hours after that...in this kind of pain.

Ick.

I am jealous of every runner I see outside. We've been blessed with some amazing weather here in Central IL lately...and all I can think about is how much I want to be out there running, how much I feel like I need to be out there running, and how frustrated I am by the fact that I am NOT out there running.

Do I have a problem?

Yeah, probably. Probably a few ;).

Saturday I went to water aerobics with my dear pregnant friend. I mocked it ;) before trying it, but it ended up being a great workout...and it truly made my leg feel awesome.

Sunday I did pool running for an hour. Talk about boring ;). But, again, my leg felt awesome.

Blah blah blah.

here's hoping things improve, soon.

20 miles, take two

So i survived my second 20 mile training run of this marathon-training-cycle! I went around 12:30 today. The weather was glorious....in the low 70's. Awesome, really.

The first mile really sucked. I almost turned back, but that would've been quite pathetic and I try to not rock the pathetic-ness on a typical basis ;), so I pushed through the discomfort. After a mile, while still feeling some nagging discomfort in my right knee and thigh....it got better.

Was it the 4 Ibuprofen that i popped before the run? Was it the full hour of pool running I had done yesterday (which, while a bit boring at times, was overall pretty wonderful.....ZERO pain or discomfort. Oh water, you are my dear, dear friend!). Was it the probably-somewhat-ghetto-looking bring pink KT kineseotape Jeremy and I rigged up together on my knee and thigh after watching online tutorials???? Hahaha!

Aaaand, thanks to Nate's advice (trainer at the Sports Enhancement Center here in blo-no) I've been trying to tweak my form a bit. Easier said than done, naturally, but I'm starting to maybe see/feel some improvement that is *hopefully* more than simply mental

Whatever it was, though, today's run was better than I was thinking it would be. And....i'm grateful for that!

Three weeks til the big marathon numero tres! Here's hoping it's a success story :). I'm excited!

Aaaaand....the big news is: I'm pretty sure Jeremy is going to run the half marathon at the Quad Cities event! He actually ran 12 tonight (the most he's run yet! He's done 10 a few times). He's been slowly but surely building up his mileage. I've been teasing him that he's going to do the half....and, in true Jeremy form, he's adamently denied it.

He hasn't registered yet, that I'm aware of anyway, but I'd put good money down on the fact that I'm pretty dang sure he's gonna do it.

And THAT, my friends, is freaking hot to me! :)

Yeaaaaaah!



Posted by Rachelyn via Blogaway

Falling off the wagon...un poco

Yeah, so my training has been less than stellar lately, thanks to my right leg. Why is it always the right leg, anyway?

Anyway.

So, last Saturday I ran 12 miles with my friends Dawn and Jamie. Dawn is training for her first half marathon (Labor Day weekend!! :)) and Saturday was her first 12-mile run ever in her life! I told her I'd join her for the momentous occasion! :) It was great...and I am so proud of her! Dawn has been training using intervals...so we did the run using her current training plan strategy, which is a 3-1 interval, or 3 minutes running, 1 minute walking. It felt good to "take it easy" since my leg was definitely causing a lot of pain last week.

It started out a few weeks ago with inner thigh pain. Two weeks prior to this coming Saturday, I started feeling it in the outside of my right knee as well. I knew that was a sure sign that something was amiss and I needed to ease up. So, I took it easy last week...and thought that doing the run/walk 12 miles with Dawn and Jamie would be a good, easy training strategy for the weekend.

Sunday I was supposed to do 20, according to Hal...but I did nothing. Yup...read: NOTHING. Ugh, it totally pained me...but I really didn't have a whole lot of choice. My knee AND thigh both felt awful. Heinous. So, I rested...thought it really irritated me. To make matters worse, my husband went out and ran 10. Talk about torture!! It was SO hard for me not to go out and do SOMETHING, too.

Monday night I ran six....

And it was awful.

One of the most painful runs of my life. I was bawling my eyes out when I rang the doorbell upon arriving back home. Jeremy took one look at me and informed me that I was taking a week off.

It was a pretty darn LOW feeling. I stretched, iced, ate, and slept. I felt a bit better in the morning.

(NO, this wasn't related to PMS or anything like that ;). It was legitimate emotion caused by sheer frustration at feeling failed by my ailing body)

Tuesday, I didn't run...but I played sand volleyball. It was great stress relief :).

Wednesday...I didn't run. We had dinner at some good friends' house. It helped keep my mind off the fact that I wasn't running...almost.

Tonight? I went over to the Sports Enhancement Center and got some advice from my friend Kristin's husband David (a PT) and Nate (an athletic trainer who runs marathons himself). It was great...really. Nate gave me some really useful (I think!) strategies about changing my stride...and I tried out the strategies tonight.

I am not sure if it's just all in my head (I don't think it is!), but it felt great. Sure, it felt good just to finally be out and running again...but the suggestions Nate and David gave me really seemed to help. It seemed less effortful to run quicker...and it really felt as if it was putting less stress on my knee as well.

I ran with my friend Jamie, who wanted to run 4. I was planning on doing 6. So, we ran out 2 and back 2 for her 4...and then I set off, planning to go out 1 and back 1 to make my total 6. Well, after I made it out 1 (for a total of 5 miles), I felt awesome...so I ended up going 1 more mile...and then back 2...for a total of a very glorious 8. It felt good. I feel as if I am almost "back in the saddle."

When I was a half mile away from my car, I decided to dig in and speed things up. I didn't push as hard as I could've...but ran the last half mile at a 7:30/mile pace...and it felt wonderful.

Ah, I needed a high :). It felt great tonight.

I am going over again to visit with David over my lunch tomorrow and getting some sort of treatment on my knee...and was instructed by him that after that I can't do any running tomorrow. So, tomorrow...a day off...again. It will be ok :). (Right??)

4 1/2 weeks to go!

Anywho....happy running, all! :)

REGISTERED!

It's official! I registered for the 2010 Quad Cities Marathon!

37 days....here it comes, ready or NOT! :) :)

Yahoo, bring on Marathon THREE!!! :)

It will be my THIRD marathon within a 12-month span! :)

I can't wait :).

Just 5 1/2 weeks....two more 20-mile runs :)....many more miles....one pair of new shoes (ordered!)...

Lots of smiles :).

Goodnight!

Ahhhh!

Just returned from a 18.5 mile solo bike ride :).  It felt awesome....I hadn't gotten my bike out all summer, sadly.  All of the time I had for physical activity outside was always dedicated to running.  Since my right thigh (quad?) has been sore for about a week now (I did rest Sunday and Wednesday completely and took it easy Saturday (only 4...was going to do 6, but I felt the scary all-to-familiar twinge of my right IT band going goofy...), Monday (swam laps at the pool for 35 min....wanted to pool jog, but the deep water pool at my gym is being cleaned and won't be open for a few more weeks), Tuesday (Just did 40 minutes on ye olde eliptical at the gym, followed by 60 min of sand volleyball :) ) ).....I decided to do some cross-training and go for a ride!

It was glorious :).

Good choice.

Good for the soul.

Leg is a bit more sore.....but at least I mentally feel better. I hatehatehate taking so many days off! Makes me looney...

:)

Ah....the great outdoors and the awesome feeling of getting that heart beating/pumping quickly :).

The weather was awesome today, too :).

Happy training, all! :)

~R

Oh dear

So....
The last eight-day Saturday-Saturday period was a running success, I'd say.

Sunday....I did NOT run. Took that day right off! :) I did get a lot of walking in ;)....we spent the day at Six Flags with some friends. Fatiguing, but not in a real "athletic" way ;).

Monday...I ran 4 with Jamie.

Tuesday....no running. I didn't have time! ARGH! And, we were under yet ANOTHER heat advisory. I did play sand volleyball for approximately an hour...again, fatiguing but not a real "work out."

Today...I ran 6 with Jamie (the mileage I was supposed to get in yesterday). I was in a hurry afterwards and came home, took a 3 minute shower (literally), and then jumped in the car with Jer to go off to a going away party for one of our friends. I ate an entire pound (actually probably a bit more) of cherries in the car and then drank a glass of merlot at the bar.

Last time I checked, a pound+ of cherries shouldn't really equal dinner.

After the merlot, we went to dairy queen.

I ate a (small...HA!) blizzard.

Then we came home and I ate a piece of cheese.

oh dear............................

New accomplishment!

So, I ran 80 miles in the past 8 days!

80.6, to be precise!

WHEW!!

Last Saturday: 7.75
Sunday: 19.25
Monday: 4
Tuesday: 9
Wednesday: 6
Thursday: 4.6
Friday:10
Saturday (today): 20

TOTAL: 80.6!

WOWSA!

Tomorrow=day off=whew!! :)

I feel pretty accomplished!

In this training week (my "week" is Monday-Sunday), I have run 53.6 miles...the most I have run in a week in my LIFETIME! :)

Yahoo for new accomplishments! :)

AND, yahoo for a day of rest tomorrow! Let me tell you what, my legs are needing that in a pretty MAJOR way!! :)

Happy Running!

Wrap-up of past few days' worth of training

So....after my post about being BAD last week....

I didn't run on Thursday OR Friday! Egads!!!

Friday, actually, I got home from work at 5:30 (never mind the fact that I am technically OFF at noon on Fridays...yeah...I have a problem...) and literally fell asleep on the floor in the hallway outside of our office upstairs. I layed down on the floor to talk to Jer who was on the computer, and conked out. I transplanted myself to my bed shortly therafter (about 7) and fell asleep again....until 9! Talk about a wasted evening! ;) Well, my body probably just reallyreallyreally needed sleep ;).

Saturday I ran 7.75....was supposed to do 9...but slept in a bit. I had to get to a hair appointment by 8am (I know, I know...super important, right?? ;)).

Sunday I ran 19.25 (Hal called for 19, but my OCD self wanted to add that point 25 to round out the weekend's miles to an even 27 miles). WHEW!

Last week's total...(I count Monday-Sunday as a "week")....39 miles running. 11 miles biking :).

So far this week.....
Monday I ran 4 and today I ran 9.
a very, very sweaty nine!!

Seriously. Hal called for 10, but the heat....I can't even describe it! We have a heat advisory right now, effective from 1pm this afternoon until like 7pm tomorrow.

So, what does Rachel do...RUNS! HA! I mean, really, though what was I supposed to do?! ;) Training can't really take a hiatus for weather!!

I got out of work a bit later than I hoped, and had to hurry to a sand vb game (I was a few minutes late to the game as it was)....and couldn't keep up the pace I was hoping to do because of the heat....so I settled for nine tonight.

Let me tell you what...it was one of the HOTTEST runs I'd done yet! The heat index was far over 100...like 110ish!

Three miles in, I removed my tank top and soaked it in a drinking fountain along the constitution trail. I wrung it out over my head (seriously), and soaked my face in the drinking fountain. I re-wet the tank top and strapped it into the back of my sports bra for some cooling action down my back. I had to look like a freaking hot mess. HA!

Thank goodness for water fountains on the Constitution Trail, I have to say! They were definitely a lifesaver tonight.

Goodnight, all!

Why

Why do I run?

Bad

I was bad tonight.

Bad, bad.

I havent gone running.....

For TWO days!!

Saturday was the Bix.....yahoo! It was a great race.  Wet....but great.

Sunday I ran 12 with the Lake Run Club.  It was a great run.  I ran with Merlin for the entire 12 who realllllly pushed me.  We ran much of the 12 at an 8:30ish pace.  A few times I felt like throwing in the towel....my legs were pretty spent from the ever-hilly Bix the day before....but I kept on pushing and survived! :).

Monday I ran 3.  Hal said that's all I had to do....and I listened! ;)

Tuesday I ran 9. It was HOT....and afterwards I played a sand volleyball game! I realized that day (not for the first time, either....sadly this girl needs to "learn" more than once!! ;)) that I realllllllllly need to do a better job of eating and drinking water throughout the day.....

Wednesday I biked!! 11 miles on a tandem bike with Merlin! This deserves a post all its own! Perhaps tomorrow.....

And today?  Today.....

Today, I was BAD.

Dinner with coworkers and friends....Firehouse Pizza....an entire gluten free pizza with garlic sauce, canadian bacon, pineapple, and mushrooms and a side of marinara...just for me.

Yup, i ate the entire thing.  Eight (somewhat small, but still eight!!) pieces of delight in my mouth.

AND.....

I wasnt even full afterwards...

Really!

My metabolism is wicked crazy lately with all of this running....

And....

Afterwards I had ICE CREAM!

Coconut ice cream with hot fudge.  Emack and Bolio's....you are gooood friends of mine ;).

Tasted like Hawaii in my mouth.

But....also....

Tasted like NOT running.....tasted like guilt....tasted like getting fat/flabby/gross

*sigh*

I did have some very good conversations with some very good friends.  I have to keep reminding myself that a day without running is not necessarily wasted.

....right????

Posted by Rachel Lynn via Blogaway

Bix x 7!

I did it! I finished my 7th Bix! I did get my best time yet....56 minutes and 42 seconds. Just 42 seconds over my "goal" :)

Anticipation

Tomorrow at 9am it will be all over....I will have completed my 7th Bix 7! :) The humidity is supposed to be 82%. Oh dear me. The temp at race start will be 80ish. It's gonna be a hot, painful race! I'm shooting for 56 minutes. Last year I got 59. Not sure that an 8 min/mi pace is realistic tomorrow....but I can dream/shoot for it! ;). My biggest goal for myself tomorrow is to finish in the top 10% of my age group....which is within reason :).

I've been dealing with some intestinal issues since Sunday....so I am not very sure how that problem will come into play tomorrow, either. Hoping my system evacuates all extraneous matter before start time, if you know what I mean ;). Typically my body seems to know it's race day and gets rid of things rather expediantly before a race starts. However, I have to admit, I am quite nervous about the current state of my bowels.

Hey, don't act like you're all surprised that I'm discussing my bowel issues ;). I will readily admit that I've crapped my pants. As an adult. Hey, I have gluten intolerance.....I can't help it!! ;)

*sigh*

That's enough of that!!

Bring on the hills....bring on the humidity....bring on the crowds of 20,000 runners and even more spectators. Bring it, Brady Street!! :) :)

Yahoo Bix 2010!!

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Guilt

So, I have been a bit of a slacker marathoner lately. Ugh. So, instead of running...I'll blog about it ;). Ok, ok...it's 9:43pm and I've been home for a whopping hour today. I guess I shouldn't feel TOO guilty for sitting here at my computer unwinding by blogging for a bit ;). But I still do. Anyway....

So, in my post about last week's "week-in-review"...I had written that Sunday was TBD. Hal called for 8 miles (well, actually, I had flipped Sunday/Saturday this week)....but all I got in was a four mile run. Two miles in, I started to feel awful. Awful with a capital A. I pushed through...but when I started in on that third mile, I had to slow to a walk. that never happens. Ever. I walked myself to a port-a-potty located in a park along my route...and let's just say it was very, very lucky that the port-a-potty was located where it was. Whew. I was able to run the final mile of my 4 miles after...some relief ;) (UGH!) and ended up running a 7:30 mile. So, I didn't feel as if the entire workout was wasted. But, I finished the week with a 4-mile deficit in my mind. Ugh.

Monday...I was supposed to do 4 miles. It was raining. I hate rain. I didn't feel like truckin' through the rain after a nasty day at work. I didn't feel like running on the loathed treadmill at the gym. Plus, my stomach was still jacked from the previous day. So, when Jeremy suggested that we go see Inception after work...I jumped at the opportunity. Relaxation? Score! Running? Fail.

Four mile deficit for the week thus far.

Sigh.

Tuesday....I was supposed to do 9 miles. I muscled through a very painful 6. My stomach has felt AWFUL ever since Sunday! It is really disgusting. I am sure it may be due to some gluten I accidentally ingested somewhere...but not sure where or what it was from. That makes it even more frustrating...I am so careful!

Three mile deficit from Tuesday, added to a four mile deficit from Monday...equals a disappointing seven mile deficit for the week.

Today...(Wednesday)...Hal called for 4 miles. I (SUCCESS AT LAST!) got up at 5am and did 8 miles before work!!! SO...that is a surplus of 4 miles for the day!

Seven mile deficit for the week, subtract a 4 mile surplus from today...remainder of a small 3 mile deficit for the week! (*Feelin' a BIT better about things* :)).

Tomorrow Hal calls for 6 800's. We'll see. We'll see.

Work has been somewhat stressful again lately, too. It stinks when I can't feel like I can get things under control there...especially when I can't get other things in my life under control (like my training) as well.

Sigh.

Tomorrow is a new day :).

Actually...a new day starts in approximately 2 hours and 6 minutes. If I want to be in bed before that, I need to stop blogging and finish up my work for the night!!

Goodnight! :)



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BIX....

Five days, 13 hours, 47 minutes, 21 seconds...and counting! Here it comes, ready or not!

(and, sources say it's going to be one of the HOTTEST Bix races in history! UGH!!!)

Life, we know, is full of choices. Good choices, bad choices. Easy choices, hard choices. Choices that affect only ourselves, and choices that affect others in ways we can't even imagine. I made a tough (for me) choice lately...and have caught a bit of flak about it. So, I felt like writing...to get it off my chest.

You see...

We love the Bix 7...

It definitely holds a special place in our "hearts."

Yeah, that's pretty nerdy (even for me!). Nope, I am not ashamed to admit it :).

I ran the Bix 7 (a seven-mile race through the streets of Davenport, Iowa; held on a Saturday toward the end of July each summer) for the very first time in July of 2004. I've run it every summer since...which means this year's Bix will be my seventh! That first summer, I ran the Bixwith my little sister, Megan (to whom I owe my love of running...and my obsession with it :)).

2003 was the summer of my first races (if you really care, I wrote about my "running beginnings" in a blog post here)...a 4 miler and a 5k, both of which were run with my little sister (Megan, who ran cross country in high school and undergrad)....and then 2004 was the year of my first Bix.

Anyway...

The following year...2005...Jeremy joined me! This requires some explanation....

We had been going through a rocky time together that year (backing up a bit, we started dating in January of 2002, when he was a sophomore at Augustana and I was a first-year). Not to go into too much detail, but we broke up in January of 2005. This was the January of my senior year of undergrad (he had graduated a year ahead of me and was in "the working world" here inBloomington)...a stressful time in my life as I was just starting to hear back from graduate schools about acceptance/rejection, etc. We broke up for a variety of reasons, and the subsequent months were not pretty...not for either of us (in the way of our friendship/relationship and in the way of other choices the two of us made during that time period).

Well, in about March Jeremy decided he was going to start running.

I won't sugar coat this...and neither would he....Jeremy hates running.

***OK...at least he says he does ;). He runs up to nine miles at a time now, so I don't think he can truly still hate running. But that's a story for another time, perhaps ;). ***

However, back in March of 2005...he really did hate running. On his first run, he reportedly could barely finish a mile. So, why did he decide to start running? For me, he told me. He got it in his mind that he was going to run the Bix in July that summer, because he knew how much I loved that race...and how much of a part of my life running was starting to become. He wanted to show me that he could do something...for me.

So he trained, starting with that first painful mile.

He got up early before work some mornings. He ran after work some evenings. He ran in the heat some days. He ran, pushing through each mile...an expression of love. An expression of love, as strange as it may sound, to me.

Soon it wasn't just one mile he was struggling to complete...but it was two. Then, three, four...and, well, obviously you get the picture.

He ran, though he didn't know what the future held.

He ran, though we were both "seeing" other people.

He kept running...pushing through the physical and mental pain. Ran in spite of the uncertainties of life in general and the uncertainties of our relationship. Ran...though he didn't really even quite know WHY he was doing it, or IF it would be worth it.

In the meantime, two hours north, I was running. Running, because it kept me sane. Running, because it was one of the few things in my life I could "control." Running, because I needed a "constant" in my life. Running, because I didn't know what the future held, yet I had this unshakable feeling that it would help me get there somehow.

I may have "loved" running more than Jeremy, but that doesn't mean it was easy. I pushed through excuses, mental exhaustion, and physical pain. Ran in spite of the many distractions of college life. It was that spring, the spring of 2005, when I really started to make a cognizant commitment to running....and have never looked back.

And on a Saturday in late July...we ran our first Bix together. The start of a tradition that will go on for years and years for our family.

***In June of 2004, about 6 weeks before our big race, we did get back together :)***

Now don't be fooled....

If you know us, you know that Jeremy and I are NOT the sappy lovey-dovey type. We are both content to, in general, "do our own thing"...we have our own hobbies and interests as well as joint interests. We have our own groups of friends, as well as joint friends. We bicker at one another more than we probably should. We do, though, love and respect one another immensely. I say all of these things to illustrate the point that we don't have a bunch of silly/meaningless "traditions." We have a few "big" things a year that we do together (besides celebrating our birthdays and anniversary, of course)....seeing Handel's Messiah at Augustana in December each year and running the Bix each summer.

AND, we don't even really run together! Our pace and strategy is much different. Jeremy tends to go out harder than I do, thanks to all of that testosterone, I tease him. I start a bit more conservatively and build speed as I go (negative splits). In most races, I typically pass him after a while and end up finishing before him. We wait together in the start corrals, but split up shortly after the gun goes off. It just works best that way :). Otherwise one of us is annoyed with the other...etc., etc. BUT, we start together...and we meet up at the end and commiserate together. Complain about the heat, the hills, the humidity, a sore knee. Lament our slower-than-we-would've-liked time. Whatever it may be. Weexperience something special...together. (ok, ok...if any of you non-runners are reading this, I am well aware that this sounds completely loony and bonkers!)

So, this spring when an Easter Seals fundraiser...Walk With Me....was announced as having the same date, I was crushed! Torn. I am very committed to my workplace, so I thought I should probably sign up and attend the event. However, when I told Jeremy about it, he seemed very surprised that I would even consider doing anything else on that date. In his mind, it was out of the question. He even told me that he would still be going to the Quad Cities to run the Bixwithout me if I chose to go to the fundraising event.

So, I chose the Bix. But....that's not really it. I chose Jeremy. I chose our relationship, our marriage, our friendship. I'd say it is empowering to finally choose MY personal life over work, but I still feel guilty. I wish I could be there....I really wish the dates were different. I love my co-workers, and love the kids and families I work with. It truly SUCKS to not be able to be there with them on what is sure to be a very special and fun day.

But, I think I made the right choice.

I mean...he runs for me, remember?

Five days, 13 hours, 3 minutes, 34 seconds to go....

...and did I mention my goal??? I am shooting for an 8-minute/mile pace....56:00 minutes :). We'll see how the heat plays into that plan!!!

Week-in-review...almost

Monday--4 miles

Tuesday--8 miles

Wednesday--4 miles

Thursday--4o minute tempo run (15 minutes slow, 20 minutes faster, 5 minutes slow)

Friday--REST day! AHHHH (after TEN consecutive days of working out!)

Saturday--17 miles

Sunday (today)....TBD

I had to swap this weekend's runs a bit...Hal called for resting on Friday, and then an 8 mile run on Saturday followed by a 17 mile run on Sunday. Well, I was planning to go out of town Saturday evening through this afternoon (Sunday)...so I knew I needed to make the most of my available time and get the all-important 17-mile run in on Saturday morning. That leaves the 8 mile run for tonight....it's only 6pm here, so I still have plenty of time to get it in....but, MAN, sitting around sounds SO much more appealing right now after a busy weekend of GO-GO-GO!

{siiiigh}

We'll see what the night brings :). In an ideal world...I'll wait an hour or so and then head out. It will be at least a bit cooler, so perhaps I can get some good pace work in.

Week in Review

So, another running week has come to a close :).

Monday--off (we were driving back from the east coast)

Tuesday--8 miles in the evening after work

Wednesday--4 miles in the morning before work with my friend Jamie

Thursday--4 miles in the morning before work with my friend Jamie

Friday--4o minutes of pool jogging with my friend Jillian

Saturday--8 miles

Sunday--17 miles

Grand total for the week: 41 miles (not including "pool jogging")

Woot! New high-mileage week! :) I'm gettin' there! :)

This morning I met up with the Lake Run Club marathon training group at the constitution trail to do my 17 miles. Two other people ran with me for 10.5 of the miles and one guy ran with me for about 13.5. It was a great run :). I was planning to do 16 (what Hal Higdon called for today), but the pace with the group was a bit slower than I would've liked...so I added some speed work and extra hills at the end. Felt great! Legs are tired now, though. I've been stretching this afternoon...and I think I am going to go lay by the pool with a book :). We'll see :).

Have a great day, all! Happy running!

Life seems to revolve around running...

....well, for me anyway :). Somewhat, at least :).

So I went on vacation with my family....we are driving back now. Let me tell you, being in the car for 10+ hours is giving my poor legs some serious cramp-age action!

It was an awesome vacation....and, thanks to traveling with my trusty and amazing Garmin running watch and my fellow runners, my sister Megan and brother Dan's girlfriend Laura...I was able to get some great runs in. As I said, my life seems to revolve around running. Many conversations about running/schedules/etc were necessary to plan out the runs for the weekend.

Wednesday night before we left, I was able to do a quick 3.5 (Hal plan called for 3) with my friend Jamie at home. Thursday was a day off (in place of Friday, which is the day off my plan called for). Friday I did 7 (Laura ran 3, Meg ran 5, and I did 7). Saturday we did 3. Sunday Laura did 2 with us and Meg and I did 8. I was supposd to do 10....but the hills and heat did me in....in a major way. As I posted afterwards on facebook, Virginia (where we were staying)....you are one hilly B!! Our hotel was right outside of the Quantico Marine Corps Base (where my brother Dan was attending Officer Candidacy School for the past six weeks). And, it was conveniently minutes from Prince William National Park...beautiful and perfect for running. Meg and I took on "scenic drive" on Sunday morning....oh, it was scenic.....and completely hilly. Big hills. Rolling hills. Steep hills. Hills that made us cry out for mercy and cry out for our mommy. For real. ;) It was pretty incredible training, though :).

We also spent a good part of the weekend walking. We walked at least 3 miles on Sunday and 4-5 on Saturday. Saturday we spent the day touring DC on foot and Sunday we went to see the fireworks downtown. It was fabulous....but tiring!

I do love "active" vacations, though :). So I don't feel as if I go home tons fatter or anything ;)

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This week, so far

Things are moving right along :).

Training is going well.

Joints/muscles/body...all feeling pretty good :).

Monday: Ran 3.5 outside with Jamie (Hal Higdon plan called for 3)

Tuesday (tonight): Ran 7 outside, solo, withOUT music/iPod! It was actually refreshing....it was a beautiful night and a really great run. Average of 8:59/mi pace....with the last half mile at a 7:00/mile pace. I ran negative splits (each mile faster than the previous). It felt fantastic!

Plan says tomorrow calls for 3. We'll see what happens :).

Have a great day, all! Happy running! :)

Another Milestone!

Today I ran 14.25 miles....which was the most I'd run in 1 day since the marathon 3 weeks ago...

AND...

It brought my mileage for this past week (Monday-Sunday) to 39 miles, which I am pretty sure is the MOST miles I have EVER run in one week before (even in a week during which I ran a marathon!). WHOO HOO!

Yup, I am tired :).

And, no it wasn't easy ;).

I started running around 11:30 this morning, meaning I ran through the HOTTEST part of the day. Probably not the wisest choice :).

Oh well ;). Live and learn. It felt great, and I feel very accomplished now :).

Ah, I love running.

I survived week 5 of Hal Higdon's Advanced I plan....13 weeks til the Quad Cities Marathon!

Weird...my right foot has been bothering me for about two weeks now. I know nothing about stress fractures, but that term has been swimming around in my head...as in "I wonder if I have some sort of stress fracture." I hate to be overly, unnecessarily dramatic...and it's not as if it is keeping me from training or doing anything I would like to be doing, but it is just annoying. Honestly, it doesn't even really bother me while I am running. It is AFTER...when my shoes are off and I am just walking around the house.

Hm...

Oh well.

Have a great day, all! :)

1st LRC training run of the season!

So i got back about an hour ago from my first training run of the season with the Lake Run Club marathon training group.  It was great!  It's fun, because now that it's my second season with the group i know at least a few people and feel "legitimate" now ;).  The people there today were running five miles, but my training program called for seven today.  So, i ran the first 2.5 miles with 3 other people in the group, but when they turned around, I continued on for one more mile before turning around to make it a total of seven miles.  When i was about 1.33 miles from the end...I saw Merlin, an awesome runner.  He had been running with me for the first portion, but turned around to finish with the other two in our part of the group.  Well, after they finished...he turned back and came to find me :).  That last 1.33 miles was great!  He really pushed me and we did the last mile in under 8.  Overall, I ran the 7 miles in 1:01, which breaks down to an approximate 8:43/mile pace.

It was a great run! It's so much fun to get a chance to run with other "serious" runners.  Merlin also gave me lots of advice as we ran together...which was fabulous :).

Tomorrow am I am going to go early again to run with the group....but i need to do 14 tomorrow.

Have a great day all!

Rlb

13 weeks

13 weeks (+ 1 day) til the Quad Cities Marathon!

This week:

Saturday, June 19: Warrior Dash; 3.17 miles with 12 "extreme" obstacles; 28:34:20/ 9:13/mi pace

Sunday, June 20: 5 mile run outside; pace of 8:40/mile

***I jumped back onto the Hal Higdon training plan here; Using the Advanced I plan; the following is week 5

Monday, June 21: 4 mile run outside; pace of 8:40/mile (Hal called for 3 miles, but I wanted to do 4)

Tuesday, June 22: 7 mile run outside

Wednesday, June 23: 3 mile run outside

Thursday, June 24: 35 minute tempo run (3.75 miles is what it ended up being...ran 15 minutes at a 10 min/mi pace, 10 minutes at an 8 min/mi pace, and then 10 minutes at a 10 min/mi pace)

Friday (Today!): Supposed to be a rest day...but I don't really want to! We'll see ;)

14 weeks....

Just 14 weeks til Marathon Three!

Quad Cities, Here I COME!! :)

I think my little sister, Megan, will be joining me for this one...and I can't wait!

This week I am getting back on a Hal Higdon training plan bandwagon. The past two weeks since the Minneapolis Marathon, I've been taking it kinda easy. Last week I did NOTHING. Nothing at all athletic, unless you count sand volley ball on Thursday (HAHAHA!!!!!). My first day back at it was this past Monday, June 14th. Monday and Tuesday, I visited the gym and ran on the treadmill (sorry, Mr. Anon...I know you told me to ditch the treadmill...but the weather was bad, and one of the nights it was really late and I didn't want to run in the dark!). Wednesday I did 6 miles outside with my friend Jamie. It was great! Thursday and Friday I took off...and Saturday I did the Warrior Dash in Joliet! It was a 3.17-mile race with twelve crazy obstacles! It was a great time. Today I ran 5 miles at an 8:40 pace. It was swelteringly hot out, but I muscled through it! :)

I think I am gonna majorly amp up my training and try for the Hal Higdon Advanced I plan this time around...we'll see. I am jumping in this week at week 5. That means that this week I need to:
Monday--3 miles
Tuesday--7 miles
Wednesday--3 miles
Thursday--35 tem (have no idea what that means, need to look it up. Assume it stands for "tempo", but again...no real clue what that refers to)
Friday--Rest
Saturday--7 miles
Sunday--14 miles

Uh, just read this on Hal's website:
"The advanced schedules are designed only for the hard core, those willing to take it to the limit. Only a small percentage of today's runners classify themselves as Advanced or want to follow this demanding a schedule."
Haha, am I "hard core" enough for this?! We shall see...

Hm, ok, thank's Hal...just found what he means by "tempo run". Seems straight-forward enough!!

"Tempo Runs: A tempo run is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace. Notice I said "near" 10-K race pace. Coach Jack Daniels defines the peak pace for tempo runs at the pace you might run if racing flat-out for about an hour. That's fairly fast, particularly if the tempo run is 45 minutes long, but you're only going to be near peak pace for 3-6 minutes in the middle of the run. In the Advanced programs, tempo runs are scheduled for Tuesdays or Thursdays. Here's how to do this workout. A tempo run of 30 to 40 minutes would begin with 10-15 minutes easy running, build to peak speed during the next 10-20 minutes, then finish with 5-10 minutes easy running. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout and only for those few minutes mentioned above. You can do tempo runs almost anywhere: on the road, on trails or even on a track. Tempo runs should not be punishing. You should finish refreshed, which will happen if you don't push the pace too hard or too long. It helps also to pick a scenic course for your tempo runs. You can do your tempo run with another runner, but usually it works better to run solo. There's less danger of going too slow or (more the problem) too fast if you choose his pace, not yours."

Now, I am excited to begin!! :)

I am also going to keep up the cross-training (I've been very good about pool jogging 1x/week, which I truly feel has saved my knees...I was injury-free during my training for this second marathon!)....but will do that on the low-mileage days either instead of say the 3-4 miles prescribed, or in addition to.

Bring it on! :)

Can't wait for number three! :)

Surviving Minneapolis...et al

Well, I survived it! :) My second marathon is now "under my belt." I feel like I can legitimately get one of those "26.2" stickers for my car and get my little "26.2" tattoo on my foot (uh, more on that later). HA! I feel like I am officially "a marathoner." Ok, so I know that not many people ever run a race....much less a marathon (speaking of which....I know I mentioned this last fall as well when I was training for Chicago, but when I've talked about the marathon this spring/summer as well...I've been asked about a gazillion times "So how long was this marathon?" etc. Uh....and I am NOT trying to be disrespectful here...but EVERY marathon is 26.2 miles! ;)). AND, of those that run a marathon, many run one just to say they ran one....and just leave it at ONE.
Well, unfortunately I've caught the bug and couldn't leave it with just one. And I can't leave it with just TWO, either :). I've already got my sights set on the Quad Cities Marathon at the end of September :).
I had a blast on Sunday. An absolute, absolute blast. I commented to more than one person...there is just something about pushing your body precisely to the brink of what you can handle that makes you feel so alive. It is the best high I've ever experienced (ok, that's not saying a whole lot...since I've definitely never done drugs ;))....and I am definitely addicted. I had to fight, fight, fight for much of that race. For any non-runners, that probably sounds super dramatic and strange...but it's exactly how I felt. I had to stay mentally TOUGHER than I ever had in my entire life. I had a few shadows/glimmers of doubts about myself and my training as I carried on through that beast of a race....but for the most part, I was confident that I would finish. Quitting wasn't a real option for me.
The mental games I had to play with myself were many and varied....there was the basic runner's game of just thinking about the race in little chunks of a few miles. There was the predictable game of "ok, I will slow my pace for 30 seconds on my watch, and then I will catch back up to runner X wearing X ahead of me." There was the "I need to pass more people than pass me."
I started with the 3:40 pace group (8:24 min/mile pace), which was, quite frankly, not a good decision. I stayed with that group for 8 miles....and then knew I had to scale back my pace significantly or I wouldn't be able to finish. The temperature was hotter than I had expected (but it really was a beautiful day)...and the course was exponentially more difficult and hillier than anything I had ever experienced before in my life. Seriously.
So....I came to terms with the fact that 3:40 was not to be, but perhaps I could get 3:50. Soon, it was obvious that I just couldn't do that either....my finish time ended up being 4 hours, 4 minutes, and 7 seconds. This was NOT what I was hoping for, not what I thought my training had made me capable of getting....but really, in the grand scheme, a decent time. I got 17th out of my division of 116 female runners ages 25-29. Nothing to be ashamed of. I have to keep reminding myself of that...because I really really really wish I had done better :). It was 3 minutes and 3 seconds slower than my time in Chicago in October...so not even a PR.
*Sigh...*
But did I mention how hilly that darn course was?! ;)
A good portion of the course was through an old military base...which was FREAKING HILLY! It was also muddy...parts of the course through the base/fort were unpaved and quite muddy from all of the rain lately. My wussy self was paranoid about rolling an ankle, so I slowed down significantly through the mud.
While I was running, my mind was filled with the many things that I was "running for"...my brother Dan who is at Quantico right now for Marine Officer Candidacy School training, my family who has done so much for me, my wonderful hubby (who unfortunately wasn't able to come, due to being sick and due to his work schedule), my Easter Seals kiddos...all of the awesome, awesome people I am so blessed to know.
Ok, again, if you are a non-runner, it sounds totally lame to read that I am sure....that I am "running for" things :). Maybe I'll elaborate later.

***********************************************
So, I've tried to keep my blogs separate...my "general life/contemplations/ranting" blog, my "gluten free" blog, and my "marathon training" blog (which would be this one)....ok, I recognize that it is somewhat lame to blog at all, much less have more than one blog ;). BUT, I do enjoy writing...I find it relaxing/therapeutic for me (I can't use running for de-stressing ALL of the time! ;)) and, if you know me, you know I definitely have some OCD tendencies ;), which would necessitate the need for organization in all aspects of my life, including my blogging. Ha!
SO, anyway, I'd been writing about some of my emotions regarding the most recent marathon training on my general blog...like HERE: "Four More Sleeps"
So, some lovely Anonymous poster has started responding to my running posts with some really nice, useful-sounding advice.....I responded to him with this post: Dear Mr. (Mrs.?) Anonymous, as well as this post: Here's Your Sign
I have no idea who this person is....much less why they feel the need to offer me advice (which, as I said, appears to be helpful :))...but it has given me some good running-related things to think about.
*************************************
So, as of 11:04 this morning, it has officially been ONE WEEK since I've run a single step (ok, I probably ran up the stairs at work a few times ;)).....and I am going on a run this afternoon! Not sure yet how that is going to go or how long I will go for (it's hot!), but I am going! I am going to run some errands and then get out there.............uh........as soon as I typed that it started down pouring! HAHA! Maybe I'll go run on the track at the gym. According to Mr. Anonymous, treadmill running is not a good plan.
Speaking of which...I am somewhat self conscious about getting out there and running again. Whomever Mr. Anon is, he has seen me run...and apparently my stride leaves something to be desired. Uh oh. Makes me feel kinda like a big dorky loser out there running with all of the "real" runners!
Oh well.
Just means I have work to do, I guess!! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Rachel

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow's the big day!

Oh boy.....

I need to get some sleep :)

I wonder what tomorrow holds??!!

Great Run

I had an awesome run tonight....and totally came into the house at the end feeling as if I was on top of the world :). Just ask my husband...he was all, "What got into you?!" HA!

I just posted over on my "general" blog....thoughts about the marathon that is in just THREE AND A HALF MORE DAYS....in just FOUR MORE SLEEPS ;)

Ok, time for bed.

Bring it on, Minneapolis!!!!!!!

p.s. Workouts this week: Tonight, ran 5 miles outside; Yesterday, ran 30 minutes of pool jogging....yahooooo for tapering down, down, down ;)

AND.....in more exciting news...I think I am getting healthier :) :). Illness, beGONE! :)

Sick

It's been a frustrating week+! I've been sick since last Monday...which means today is day 9 of this. I am on the mend, I think. I broke down and went to the doctor yesterday and he served me up with some drugs. I typically hate taking any sort of medications (even just OTC stuff), but I am desperate. The marathon is now just ELEVEN days away and things are serious.

I did get on the treadmill today for 6 miles of intervals...felt great. I had a huge smile on my face as I began....it sounds corny, but I felt like I was right where I belonged :). Back in the saddle, so to speak :).

Before today, I took off yesterday (Monday)...and Sunday....and Saturday.

Friday, I ran 5 miles along a lake in MN where I was attending a continuing education course with some co-workers. It was ok....but somewhat miserable. I could barely breath and was rather constipated on top of it. Nice.

Wednesday and Thursday were also full of NOTHING in the way of athletic activity. I'm tellin' ya, I was SICK! Down and out. Misery-ridden.

Tuesday I ran 4.5 at marathon pace (8:24). Monday I spent 40ish min in the pool doing some pool-jogging. Sunday (the 16th) I did my 20 miler....

Time for bed :). Just wanted to get that all down!

Did I mention that the big day is only ELEVEN days away?!

Excited
Nervous

From Mark Allen: "Think no thoughts. Yes, stop that brain of yours from getting in the way of what you are trained to do. Have no thought. Have you practiced it? Can you do it under pressure? This simple skill will help take you past impossible moments when your logical brain is telling you your goal is way out of reach. It keeps you on track when thoughts would derail your efforts"
Just what I need to keep in mind! :)

GOOD NIGHT!

Aaaaand....

Forget what i wrote the other day about not being nervous ;). At now less than three weeks to go til the big day I am nervous.  Full of conflicting emotions, really.  Excited, yes....but also freaked out.

I ran 20 on Sunday.  Whew.  It was just the 3rd time in my life that I had run 20 miles or more.

Last week's workouts:

Monday: 30 min laps in the pool

Tuesday: 5 miles outside

Wednesday: 10 miles outside

Thursday: 45 minutes interval running on the treadmill

Friday: off

Saturday: off

Sunday: ran 20

Monday (last night): 37 minutes of pool running

Minneapolis.....will you be good to me or will you give me a rude awakening that I am indeed not yet quite ready to run with the big boys and girls......

Less than Four Weeks to Go!

So, marathon #2 is less than four weeks away. Nervous? Nah, not really....not yet.
I did 18 miles yesterday. I believe it was the 18-mile run that was the turning point of my training last fall before Chicago....I am pretty sure it was after that run that my IT band started acting up. I am happy to report that my joints/muscles/body in general seem to be doing better this time around. That's not to say I feel wonderful; I am definitely sore. However, I have been more conscientious about taking care of things......I am pretty sure my saving grace has been the pool. I have been fairly good about getting in the pool at least once a week. It's not my favorite workout of all time, but I know it's good for me (and my body!) to get in the pool.
Today, I swam laps for 30 minutes (alternating one lap of freestyle with one lap of breast stroke)....yahoo ;).
Nothing too exciting to report......I am freaking tired....goodnight! ;)

In over my head

So lately I've been feeling kind of run down....yeah, even after basically just returning from a vacation in Hawaii.  Pathetic, I know.  I am not "complaining" because I completely know I don't really have anything going on in my life that is really worth complaining about.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  But i still can't shake this....feeling.  I really can't fully describe it...so I will just leave it at that.

Anyway, the purpose of this blog is running and not contemplating anything deeper than that ;), so I will stop rambling :).

I completed my 9 mile run at a pace of 9:30/mile on Wednesday right after I got off work (I have been making a habit of bringing running clothes with me to work and running from the parking lot) and chased that run with a lovely cinco de mayo dinner at my husband's and my favorite Mexican restaurant....I even indulged in half of a mango margarita :) (Jeremy helped with the other half :)).  Yum!

Thursday....no run or real workout, but I did have a volleyball game! :) some friends and I joined a sand volleyball league at a bar in town.  It is a ton of fun....but our team is admittedly awful :).  We have had four games and have lost each and every one ;).  Oh well....as I said...we do have fun! :)

Thursday after the 6:30pm game I hurried home to clean (we have out of town guests staying this weekend) and to work on a gift for a friend....i was actually up til 1:30am finishing knitting a baby hat for my dear friend Jen who had a baby this past Monday.

We set the alarm for 6am and I planned to get up and run...but we slept through the alarm! Ugh....due to a very busy rest of the day, no workout was fit in, which makes it now two days without a workout. Ugh ugh.....

Tomorrow is another day.....I know, I know....

So I reflected tonight that I am busy the next three weekends....and after that (june 6) it is the MN marathon....I am so not ready.  Four weeks.....

I, in order to meet my goal, have to qualify for the Boston Marathon by November.  I have just about 20 min to shave off my  Chicago Marathon time from October....oh the quest for 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds.....will I ever accomplish that??

I wish I had more time.

More time to run.

More time to relax/reflect.

More time to improve in many areas of my life.....

Still Truckin'

Recent workouts:

Tuesday, April 27- ran 9 miles outside in HAWAII

Thursday, April 29- ran 7.5 miles outside in HAWAII

Saturday, May 1- U of I half marathon....13.1 miles in 1 hour 50 minutes and 7 seconds (8:25min/mile pace....not too shabby with jet lag and little sleep! We arrived home from a week in Hawaii at 7:30 the night before....then i got up at 5am and drove an hour; the race started at 7:30am :) )

Sunday, May 2- swam 30 min laps indoor pool

Monday, May 3- 35 minutes on eliptical with arms at the gym

Tuesday, May 4- ran 5 miles outside in 45:30 (9:06 pace)

Whew! I am supposed to do 9 tomorrow per the Hal Higdon plan I'm using....but no idea when i am gonna have time tomorrow.....argh!

This week......

So it's been another over-a-week period where life has gotten in the way of my training wayyyyyy too much.  Saturday the 17th i ran 16 mi....which felt good :).  After that, I paid a half-hour visit to the pool on Sunday for lap-swimming, an hour visit on Monday foor treadmill running....then unfortunately nothing on tues/wed....and a 3 mi run outside on Thursday.  Not a whole lot to write home about....but better than nothing i guess!

The Crappiest Run of My Life

First, I am fully aware that this is the internet and therefore anyone could indeed happen upon this silly blog. I don't care. Yes, this is a revolting and potentially embarrassing story....but I am choosing to embrace the experience as something out of my control. Here goes...


On Saturday, April 10, 2010 I completed the crappiest run of my life. Literally. Thus far, anyway. Let me explain....


Per my trusty Hal Higdon Novice marathon training guide, I was instructed to run 15 miles this past Saturday. I knew Saturday was forecasted to be a nice day, and was really looking forward to a nice, long, peaceful run. Well, I slept in on Saturday....I figured I needed it after the sort of week I had. It was nothing too awful, nothing terribly out-of-the-ordinary, just a long and somewhat stressful week at work. I got up and putzed around a bit and got around to making myself some eggs....two eggs, scrambled with some milk, with cheddar cheese melted on top. I ate said eggs (yum!) and commented to my husband Jeremy about all of the reading I had done lately about how healthy eggs are, what a good breakfast eggs make, etc., etc. On work mornings, I am typically too rushed/too lazy to actually MAKE breakfast, so I just grab simple stuff as I am running out the door. This lazy Saturday, though, was different. I made myself some eggs and enjoyed every bite.


We recently got a new piano and the tuner came over Saturday around noon to look after a squeaky damper pedal. I ate my eggs in the kitchen as I listened to him play our piano, lamenting the fact that I had let my skills diminish in such a way that I wondered if I would ever play as he was. When the eggs were gone, I washed and cut up some strawberries. I ate a small bowlful; they were just the right blend of tart and sweet, simply delicious.


After my meal, I busied myself about the house doing some menial tasks and finally informed my husband that I would be leaving. My plan was to drive to an area of the trail that runs through town, park my car, run 15 miles, and drive back home. I told him not to expect me back for over two and a half hours.


I packed my gear....ID around my ankle, full water bottle, iPod, garmin running watch....and was ready to hit the road. I drove the 10 minutes to the lot where I'd leave my car, parked, double-checked to be sure I had a car key, and then locked the car doors behind me as I walked up to a shelter near the parking lot. My plan was to leave my water bottle somewhat hidden for myself so it would be ready for me (it was a decently hot day, but regardless running 15 miles has a tendency to lend to dehydration...who knew?! ;))....run 4.5 miles out from the shelter, run 4.5 miles back to the shelter, grab my water bottle for a drink (after completing 9 miles), and then run 3 miles out and three miles back again for a total of 15 miles.


Well, we all know the best laid schemes of mice and men....


I started running....it wasn't the best I'd ever felt when embarking on a "long run" before, but it wasn't awful. The temperature was decent, my iPod was shuffling through a decent play list, and my body felt reasonably ready-to-go. As I neared the two-mile point, however, something within began to....shift.


I, no stranger to GI and bowel issues, knew something was terribly, terribly awry. Quickly I calculated my options....I could turn around and run back the 2 miles to my car, OR I could keep pressing onward. I knew there was a Port-A-Potty approximately one mile ahead of me on the path I was on. I chose the latter. The next few minutes were some of the longest and most uncomfortable of my life. I began sweating more profusely than necessary for the temperature. I began an awkward run/walk gait that was governed by the rumblings within my torso. Approximately .75 miles later (and only about 1/4 of a mile from the Port-A-Potty)...the inevitable happened. I. Crapped. My. Pants.


Now if you will recall, I previously stated that the weather on this particular day was pretty darn nice. That, combined with the fact that it was a Saturday in April, and you probably already deduced that a running trail was at least moderately populated. You would be correct in this deduction.


I hobbled the 1/4 of a mile to the Port-A-Potty, praying to the dear Lord that it would be unoccupied. It was. Whew. I rushed in, locked the door, dropped my shorts....and discovered there was indeed...No. Toilet. Paper.


Well, let's be honest, there wasn't a whole lot one could do at that moment. I c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y removed my shorts and underwear and cast my underwear into the dark, disgusting hole. Let me take this time to give unnecessary detail: a friend asked me, "Well, like, how much was there?!" Enough. Perhaps 1/2-3/4 of a cup. (*gags at the memory*)


What to do now?! After re-donning my relatively un-scathed shorts, I left the Port-A-Potty and set off, walking, back in the direction of my car. After walking a mile and being generally disgusted with my plight, knowing that it was going to take me a l-o-n-g time to get back to my car at that pace, I ran the final 2 miles. Running without a somewhat crucial clothing item....not recommended.


Not a step was taken without me wondering if the people walking/running/biking in front of or behind me had any idea what had taken place minutes before. Also, the entire way back I was pretty angry....angry with my crazy body for "failing" me, frustrated by the fact that I had "wasted" a work out because it hadn't gone anywhere near the way I had planned, disgusted by the sheer DISGUSTINGNESS of this predicament, etc., etc....


When I was about 1.25 miles from my car, I saw a strange-looking wavy stick on the path ahead of me. Only it wasn't a stick. It was....a freaking SNAKE. Seriously. I abhor snakes. I don't care that it was likely not poisonous. I just hate the way snakes look, hate the way they slither, hate everything about the creepy things. I look at a snake, and I think EVIL. UGH! Just my luck! The little guy slithered off into the brush and I went onward.


After what seemed like an eternity, I made it back to the shelter near where I had parked my car....only to discover....my water bottle was empty. It hadn't spilled, it hadn't leaked....but it was empty. It was standing upright, just where I had left it....but it was empty. I was angry, but then cooled off when I decided that some poor, unfortunate soul may have really needed that water. Maybe discovering that water had made their day, maybe even saved them from dehydration. But then I remembered the WATER FOUNTAIN not four feet away. WHAT?! Who the heck drinks from someone else's water bottle?!?!?!?!? And, who the heck DRINKS THE ENTIRE THING?!


I got in my car and sped home, called my sister, swore I'd give up running all together.


Not for long, though ;). I can happily report that I did indeed complete a 15-mile training run the following day, without incident :).

Looking back on this incident....I laugh. I mean, what else can I do?! Laugh and tell a good story to my friends (who are probably a) sick of my bowel stories, and b) realllllly grossed out by me, even if they are too scared to actually tell me that ;)), I guess! In all honesty, though, I am thankful...thankful this has never happened during a race, thankful I have never gotten seriously injured doing what I love, and thankful that I have the ability to pick up where I left off and try again tomorrow :).


And really.........Hey, at least it didn't happen during a race, right?! ;) I mean, really?! HAHA!!!

Workouts this past week

So, instead of taking it completely easy the day after the half last weekend, on Sunday I went to the gym with Jeremy after Easter dinner at his parents' and just did 37 minutes on the recumbent bike. SO, I didn't do "nothing", but I didn't do anything terrible strenuous either ;). Monday, I ran 4 miles outside after work with my friend Jamie....it was nothing short of torture. I was soooo tight from the race on Saturday. It was a painful run! But, I did it ;). Tuesday, I did the eliptical at the gym for an hour-ish, Wednesday I took the day off (and literally sat in my living room for like an hour with the lights off.....it was a loooong day!), Thursday I did 50 minutes on the treadmill...it was going to be 60 minutes, but it was cut short due to pulling something in the groin region of my right leg. It felt horrific. I spent 20ish minutes stretching after that. Friday, I did pool-running for 30 minutes. Saturday....well, Saturday deserves a post of its own...stay tuned (and get ready to be horrified). Sunday I ran 15 (the longest run of the year thus far).

All in all, it wasn't an awful week, training-wise, but it wasn't an easy one.

Today (Monday, April 12)....I.....strength trained for a full hour. UGH! I have been AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL about strength training. Everything I have been reading lately has been basically calling me a freaking idiot for slacking off on strength training. SO, I hit the weights. I do really hate lifting...but even more, I hate feeling like a freaking piece of candy in the weight room. I don't really consider myself much to look at, but to a lot of the dirty dudes in the weight room they apparently are interested in staring. Gross. Whatever, I ignore it for the most part.

ANYWAY, time to author a very special post about my Saturday run. You'll never look at me the same way ;).

Small Successes :)

First of all, I did have a pretty good week, training-wise. As previously posted, I ran 5 mi Monday, 6 mi Tuesday, and 7 mi Wednesday. Thursday was another beauuuutiful day, but I knew it would be wise to get in the pool (since I hadn't been in the pool since February when I was training for the indoor triathlon)...especially since my right IT band has begun its old tricky tricks again (UGH!). So, I paid a visit to the pool at the gym on Thursday night and did 30 minutes of pool running. Not my favorite, especially when I was literally aching to be outside in the fresh, warm air...but I know it was good for me. It felt great, and I still worked hard and felt like I got a good workout in.

Friday I took off from working out in order to gear up for the big race today :). Naturally, I feel like a slacker on most days that I "take off", but I survived :). I know recovery days are important!

Today.....the moment of truth came at 7:30am when the guns went off to start the Lincoln Memorial Half Marathon in Springfield! Believe it of not, but prior to today, I had never been to Springfield (other than just driving past it on the highway). As we were driving in (I rode with my friends Jami and Adam....Adam drove us, which was great of him! Jami had registered for this race two months ago and it was her FIRST half marathon! I went to support her, and also because I was aching to race! I think I posted a few days ago...I kind of registered at the last minute on Wednesday! :)), it was pouring rain. UGH! The rain stopped about the time we got to Springfield, about 6:30 this morning. WHEW! It did sprinkle on and off throughout the morning during the race and did get a bit heavier at one point, but never down-poured during the race...which I am so thankful for! :)

The course was beautiful, really. As I said, I had never been to Springfield...so it was neat to see :). There were some parts of the course, though, that were a whole lot hillier than I had been expecting! I was thankful I have been doing some hill work lately!!

Jami stayed with me until just past the 4.5 mile point, which was great! She did awesome, especially considering it was just her FIRST half marathon! I am so proud of her!! :)

I got a personal best today, which made me feel great. I am still on a high from it :). I got an overall time of 1:49:57, 44th out of 499 women (top 10%!! :)), 6th out of 87 in my division (females 25-29)....and had a pace of 8:24! I felt great, and still do feel wonderful about it. I am glad that, with each race, I am able to make small improvements :).

Someone told me right before Chicago last year that, instead of just one goal, I should have three goals for myself: one that I will almost certainly attain, one that is a challenge but also within the realm of possibility, and then a third goal that would require me to REALLY push myself. My three goals, respectively, for the Chicago marathon were: 1) To finish! I had never run a marathon before, but still felt this was a goal I would almost certainly attain. 2) To finish in under 4 hours. When I started training last summer, my goal was to finish a marathon in under 4:30. After training hard, I figured I could probably get under 4 hours. 3) To qualify for the Boston Marathon. A definite long shot for my first marathon as the qualifying time for my age group is 3 hours, 40 minutes, 59 seconds....wowwwwie! I did end up meeting goal 1...I finished! I came close to goal 2....my time was 4 hours and 1 minute and 4 seconds. SO CLOSE!!!!! Goal 3....that one is still a work in progress!

My three goals for today were....1) to beat my previous half marathon times of approximately 1 hour, 57 seconds and 1 hour and 52 seconds. 2) to get a time under 1 hour, 50 seconds. 3) To get a time under 1 hour, 45 seconds. Today I met TWO of my three goals :). I received my best time yet and I got under 1 hour, 50 seconds (by just 3 seconds! ;)). Yahooo! :) :)

Silly story from this morning....Jami and I were picking up our race packets, and I pulled the t-shirt out of the back to check it out (always gotta check out the race t-shirt to see if it's a good one!)....and the first thing I saw on the t-shirt was the word "walked"....and I turned to Jami and said, "My shirt says, 'walked'...did I get the wrong shirt? I didn't sign up to walk!" Further inspection upon pulling the shirt entirely out of the bag revealed the logo: "Run where Lincoln Walked." HAHA!!! ;)

Now.....looking forward....four weeks til my next race (half marathon and the IL Marathon event at the U of I), and nine weeks til my next marathon! Egads! I have a LOT of work to do between now and then :).

Happy running, all! :)